Guy Porter (rugby union)

Guy Edward Porter (born on 23 January 1997)[1] is an English former rugby union international player who played as a centre primarily played for Leicester Tigers in Premiership Rugby. He made his international debut for England on 9 July 2022 and overall made five appearances. In the summer of 2024 he announced his retirement following medical advice.[2]

Guy Porter
Birth nameGuy Edward Porter
Date of birth (1997-01-23) 23 January 1997 (age 27)
Place of birthKensington, London, England
Height185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight96 kg (212 lb; 15 st 2 lb)
UniversityUniversity of Sydney
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2017–2019 Sydney University 29 (65)
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2015 Sydney Stars 2 (5)
2018 Sydney Rays 2 (0)
2019 ACT Brumbies 0 (0)
2020–2024 Leicester Tigers 68 (70)
Correct as of 19 November 2023
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2022–2023 England 5 (10)
Correct as of 5 August 2023

Early life and education

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Born in London, England, Porter started playing rugby for Rosslyn Park in south London. He moved with his family to Australia at the age of seven.[3]

He studied law at Sydney University.[4]

Rugby player career

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Porter came through the Australian rugby union system.[5] He played for Sydney University, captaining the team in his final year.[4] After then playing for Sydney Stars and Sydney Rays in Australia’s National Rugby Championship, in September 2019 Porter signed for the ACT Brumbies.[6][7][8] The covid pandemic caused the suspension of the 2020 Super Rugby season.[3][9]

Porter signed for English club Leicester Tigers on 20 July 2020,[10][11] and made his debut on 22 August 2020 against Bath at Welford Road.[12] At the end of his first season with the club he started in the 2020–21 European Rugby Challenge Cup final which Leicester lost against Montpellier to finish runners up.[13]

On 26 December 2021 Porter scored the winning try on the final play of the match as Leicester beat Bristol Bears 28-26.[14] Porter extended his contract with Leicester on 1 February 2022,[15] and was named as the Leicester Mercury's man of the match for his performance against Worcester Warriors on 5 February.[16] Porter started the 2022 Premiership Rugby final at inside centre and his defence was crucial as Leicester won 15-12 against Saracens.[17]

In June 2022 Porter received his first call-up to the senior England squad by coach Eddie Jones for their tour of Australia.[18] He was named on the bench for the first test and was an unused substitute as England lost 30–28.[19] On 9 July 2022 Porter made his debut in the second test starting at centre in a 25-17 victory at Lang Park to level the series.[20][21] He retained his place for the final test as England defeated the Wallabies at Sydney Cricket Ground to win the series.[22]

Porter was selected for the 2022 end-of-year rugby union internationals and on 12 November 2022 scored the only tries of his international career in a victory over Japan.[23] The following weekend saw him come off the bench as a substitute in a draw against New Zealand at Twickenham.[24]

Porter was injured and therefore not included in the initial squad for the 2023 Six Nations Championship, but was called up by new coach Steve Borthwick to replace his Leicester Tigers team-mate Dan Kelly in the week before the tournament started, due to a thigh injury ruling Kelly out.[25] Later that year Porter was included in a training squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.[26] On 5 August 2023 Porter made his fifth and ultimately last appearance for England starting in a warm-up defeat against Wales at the Millennium Stadium.[27] He was not chosen for the World Cup.[28]

In April 2024, Leicester Tigers announced Porter would be among five players to be released, also including England international Nic Dolly, at the end of the 2023–24 season.[29] In July 2024 Porter announced his effective retirement following advice from neurologists.[2]

International tries

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As of 13 November 2022 [30]

Try Opposing team Location Venue Competition Date Result Score
1   Japan London, England Twickenham Stadium 2022 Autumn Nations Series 12 November 2022 Win 52 – 13[23]
2

Honours

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Leicester Tigers

Reference list

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  1. ^ "Guy Porter ESPN profile". ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  2. ^ a b Tunney, Jack (26 July 2024). "Exclusive interview: Guy Porter retires aged 27". Rugby Dump. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b Bridge, Bobby (21 June 2022). "Who is Guy Porter? England Rugby's 'bolter' for Australia tour". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  4. ^ a b Mockford, Sarah (8 July 2022). "Who is Guy Porter: Ten things you should know about the England centre". Rugby World. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  5. ^ ""Australian accent" - 5 things you didn't know about England debutant Guy Porter - Page 2 of 5". Ruck. 7 July 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  6. ^ "Plus500 Brumbies Finalise 2020 Super Rugby Squad" (Press release). Brumbies. 4 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  7. ^ "Youthful Brumbies squad named for 2020 Super Rugby season". Rugby Pass. 4 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  8. ^ "Guy Porter joins Brumbies Rugby". Ultimate Rugby. 9 September 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  9. ^ Meagher, Gerard (15 July 2022). "'I'm stuck in the middle': England's Guy Porter on growing up in Australia". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  10. ^ "Leicester Tigers: Premiership club sign five new players". BBC Sport. 20 July 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  11. ^ "Tigers sign promising Porter from down under". Leicester Tigers. 20 July 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  12. ^ "Team news:Tigers return to Welford Road". Leicester Tigers. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  13. ^ a b "Challenge Cup final: Leicester Tigers 17-18 Montpellier - Leicester miss out on European title". BBC Sport. 21 May 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  14. ^ Adam Hathaway (26 December 2021). "Guy Porter's injury-time magic gives Leicester dramatic victory at Bristol". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  15. ^ "Nic Dolly, Joe Heyes and Matt Scott: International trio among seven to sign new Leicester deals". BBC Sport. 1 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  16. ^ Bridge, Bobby; Clamp, Ethan (5 February 2022). "Leicester Tigers player ratings from Worcester Warriors win: 'How is he not with England?'". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  17. ^ a b Aloia, Andrew (18 June 2022). "Premiership final: Leicester Tigers 15-12 Saracens - Freddie Burns drop-goal clinches title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  18. ^ "Australia v England: Eddie Jones names squad for three-Test series in July". BBC Sport. 20 June 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  19. ^ Meagher, Gerard (7 July 2022). "Eddie Jones gambles against Australia as Freeman and Porter start for England". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  20. ^ "Australia 17-25 England: Eddie Jones' side win second Test to level series". BBC Sport. 9 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  21. ^ Bridge, Bobby (9 July 2022). "How Leicester Tigers stars performed for England as Jack van Poortvliet shines on full debut". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  22. ^ Henson, Mike (16 July 2022). "Australia 17-21 England: Tourists seal series win over Australia". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  23. ^ a b Meagher, Gerard (12 November 2022). "Porter and Smith power England's seven-try return to form against Japan". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  24. ^ Henson, Mike (19 November 2022). "England 25-25 New Zealand: Hosts fight back to draw with All Blacks". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  25. ^ Kyriacou, Adam (30 January 2023). "Six Nations: Dan Kelly ruled out as England call in Guy Porter while Scotland bring Jonny Gray into squad". Planet Rugby. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  26. ^ Cantillon, Michael (30 June 2023). "England's Steve Borthwick confirms Owen Farrell as Rugby World Cup captain; 14 players added to training squad as Luke Cowan-Dickie ruled out". Sky Sports. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  27. ^ Griffiths, Gareth (5 August 2023). "Wales 20-9 England: Warren Gatland's side defeat disappointing England in warm-up". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  28. ^ "England World Cup squad: Henry Slade & Alex Dombrandt miss out, Joe Marchant & Theo Dan in". BBC Sport. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  29. ^ "Leicester Tigers: Guy Porter and Matt Scott among five to be released". BBC Sport. 12 April 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  30. ^ "Guy PORTER profile and stats". all.rugby. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
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